


Roommate Wanted in the 2br. Above the Ramen Shop

by Sadandanxious



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gaara has bipolar depression and anxiety, Gen, Itachi is alive in this one, Multi, Other, Sakura is with Rock Lee as it should be, Slow Burn, Temari is a lesbian, and they were ROOMMATES, bisexual naruto, nonbinary gaara
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22720477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sadandanxious/pseuds/Sadandanxious
Summary: Gaara nearly scrolled past the apartment ad if it had not been for the person advertising it.Hey! I’m Naruto Uzumaki and I’m a recent grad from the college in town (yeah, you better believe it lol). Just looking for a roomie since my other went to grad school so it’d be nice if someone could move in ASAP! Totally 420 friendly and Queer friendly, just smoke on the fire escape and put a sock on the door lmfao. Plus, I get a 5% discount at the ramen place downstairs and I’ll totally buy you ramen whenever. Hit me up if you’re interested!Please no creepy messages :/
Relationships: Gaara/Uzumaki Naruto, Get ready for a thruple, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 5
Kudos: 47





	1. Roomie Wanted in Chill Space (420 & LGBTQ+ Friendly)

Gaara nearly scrolled past the apartment ad if it had not been for the person advertising it. For a moment their heart stopped, frozen in place as they kept re-reading the name. Naruto Uzumaki. An acquaintance from middle school, if they could even call him that. Decidedly, Gaara scrolled past the ad and continued looking for a more solitary living space. Perhaps they would find an actually affordable studio apartment. The thought of living with another person, after everything they had done. No, it could never happen… 

They scrolled back up and read the description. Gaara was a bit curious about what had happened to their junior high acquaintance/person-they-saw-occasionally. 

_Hey! I’m Naruto Uzumaki and I’m a recent grad from the college in town (yeah, you better believe it lol). Just looking for a roomie since my other went to grad school so it’d be nice if someone could move in ASAP! Totally 420 friendly and Queer friendly, just smoke on the fire escape and put a sock on the door lmfao. Plus, I get a 5% discount at the ramen place downstairs and I’ll totally buy you ramen whenever. Hit me up if you’re interested!_

_Please no creepy messages :/_

Something tugged at the corners of Gaara’s mouth although it could barely be called a smile, maybe a grimace. It had been so long since they saw Naruto or anyone from that era of their life, but they always remembered him being nice. The price was also enticing, far cheaper than what studios were going for in that part of town and with work and school, Gaara would have a hard time paying for their own place. They took three deep breaths like their therapist taught them and began typing a message to Naruto. 

_Hey, you probably don’t even remember me but I think we went to the same junior high together. I’m looking for a place to live during my final year of school and was wondering if we could meet to discuss logistics._

Gaara bit their lip and added. 

_Looking forward to seeing you again, glad to hear you’re doing well :)_

Gaara rolled their eyes and deleted the smiley face. An emoji? What were they thinking? After deleting that embarrassing thing, they took another deep breath and clicked send while exhaling. Absentmindedly, they glanced at the clock in the corner of their screen. 3:23AM. How did it get to be so late? They supposed they would have to wait until morning to see his response. Gaara placed their phone on their bedside table and rubbed their eyes. If they could fall asleep by 5AM they would call that a blessing. The past twenty-three years of Gaara’s life included little to no sleep, one time they got a full five hours and that was on a road trip in the car. Their eyes closed as they tried focusing solely on their breathing while relaxing each individual part of their body starting on the toes. Then the rest of their feet. Then the ankles. The shins. The knees. Gaara continued all the way to their waist, feeling their body ease into the mattress and begin to drift to a place of relaxation. It wasn’t sleep but it was as close as they could get for now. 

*** 

The alarm clock blared loudly in Gaara’s ears and their eyes snapped open. They blinked. Did they manage to sleep at all or were they just extremely relaxed? What was the difference at this point? Class would begin in half an hour giving them just enough time to shower and brush their teeth before heading out. They opened their phone and glanced at it, their eyes widened. A message from Naruto. 

_OMG :D :D :D Gaara!!! Yeah I would love to meet up dude!!! When r u available? Lol_

This was sent at 6AM, early even by Gaara’s standards. They sighed loudly and thought about a reply for a few moments. 

_I’m available around noon after my classes. Where would you like to meet?_

Was it too formal? Gaara furrowed their brow. Should they add an emoji like Naruto used so carelessly. They added a small smiley emoji but it just felt wrong, was it too friendly? But their message felt so serious otherwise. Going against their instinct, Gaara typed a :) at the end of their message and pressed send. 

Gaara checked the time again, 6:40AM, they gasped, now there was no time to shower. They hurried to the bathroom and washed their face, brushed their teeth, and threw on a black hoodie on top of chestnut corduroy pants with black boots. They sighed deeply and observed themself for only a moment in the mirror. The red in their air was beginning to fade, they’d need to dye it soon, their skin felt paler than usual. Normally their skin tone was olive, leaning more on the darker side if they stepped outside once in awhile. Nowadays, their skin bordered on the paler side and had lost most of its warmth. 

The phone buzzed interrupting their train of thought. Gaara picked up the phone and looked at the message.

 _U can meet me at Ichiraku Ramen! :D it’s over by the laundromat, across the street from the Queer bookstore. u know the place? I’m working there all day today so just pop in whenever and I’ll make you a bowl and show you the place :D_

Gaara did know that part of town. One time they had walked by the Queer bookstore to see if they had any books on being nonbinary but had quickly left when they saw someone standing at the counter. Hopefully the ramen shop wouldn’t be so busy. 

_Cool, I will see you then._

A period? Really? For some reason the message looked so foreboding staring at them right in the face. They gulped and added an exclamation point in order to appear cheery in comparison to Naruto’s enthusiastic emojis. With that last message, they ran at the door and checked it five times just to make sure it was locked. 

*** 

From the outside, _Ichiraku Ramen_ appeared rather plain compared to the shops surrounding it. Even the laundromat had a prettier outside with the mismatched laundry machines and checkered floors. _Ichiraku Ramen_ was plain, a gray building with a small fire escape on the side of it that faced the alley way. There were three large windows so you could see inside the entire place. On the left side was a bar with seven seats and along the wall were three boths, along with seating facing the windows. Thank goodness there were only a couple people sitting at the bar, clearly absorbed in whatever they were doing. The floors were white, the walls were a pale blue, and there was nothing on them except for a picture framed near the bar. 

Gaara searched for Naruto but there was no sign of him, maybe this meant they should just leave. Right as Gaara began to turn away from the shop entirely, a tall guy with badly, yellow dyed hair curling over a blue headband, and wearing a worn out, orange shirt with the logo of the ramen shop on it. For a moment, Gaara didn’t even recognize him but there was no denying it was Naruto when he saw the three white scars on each of his cheeks.

It was then Gaara knew this was an absolute mistake. Immediately they turned around and began walking back to their apartment. But then- 

“Gaara!” A voice cried out. 

Hesitating for a second, Gaara turned around cautiously to see Naruto sticking his head outside of the door an earbud hanging from his ear. 

“I thought it was you!” He jogged towards Gaara with a wide smile, when did he get so tall? “Nearly didn’t recognize you with the hair, but I remembered your Facebook profile picture and yeah!” 

He put his hands on his hips triumphantly. Gaara only stared at him for a moment, afraid to even speak. It had been so long since anyone from junior high had even spoken to him. 

“Yeah, you’ve gotten taller.” Gaara smirked then quickly looked away, embarrassed for themself, “Thank you for meeting with me, I appreciate you taking the time to see me.” 

Naruto raised a brow, “Oh, Dude you don’t even need to worry.” He waved Gaara off with a smirk, “I honestly feel so lucky somebody I actually know is interested in the place, I was worried I would have to room with some rando.” 

Gaara forced a smile on their face, “Well, the same goes for me. It’s hard finding a place cheap enough to rent on my own.” 

“Right? And everywhere is a shithole, how the hell can they charge so much?” Naruto rolled his eyes, and nodded toward the ramen shop, “Do you wanna see the place first?” 

“I suppose that’s why I’m here.” They shrugged.

Naruto couldn’t help but laugh at that while he led Gaara to a small door wedged between Ichiraku’s and the Landromat. He opened the door with a hard pull and led them up a slim staircase. Naruto stopped then smacked his forehead. 

“Ah dude, I’m sorry!” 

Gaara furrowed their brows, confused. Maybe Naruto forgot he was already renting the place. Or maybe he realized he would never want to live with someone like them. 

“There is an elevator, it’s in Ichiraku’s but if you need to use that we totally can. The old man will give you the key to the restaurant if you need to use it regularly. I know it’s crappy but it’s the only accessible entrance, I should’ve mentioned that in my ad.” Naruto explained, frowning. He looked genuinely sincere and it had been a long time since Gaara someone besides their therapist had looked at them like that. 

“No, I won’t need that.” Gaara offered, they paused a moment as Naruto searched their face, “But thank you.” 

Naruto sighed, “I’m sorry, I’m trying to get better at that. It slips my mind though, I’ll show you the elevator once we get up there.” He paused, “If you end up moving in.” 

The door at the end of the staircase was bright red and covered in old worn-out stickers that were indiscernible. With another hard push Naruto got the door open and led Gaara to a small hallway with a tiny window at the very end looking out into the alleyway. On the left was a wooden door that looked like someone had tried to punch a hole in it. Naruto scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed. 

“That’s from my old roomie.” He turned to Gaara and began gesturing with his hand, “You know Kiba right? Big guy, always wearing a big coat, obsessed with his dog?” 

Gaara vaguely knew of him, they remembered seeing a guy like that with Naruto all the time. 

“Anyways,” Naruto grabbed his keys from his pocket and sifted through them, “The guy forgets his keys one time and instead of calling me, he decides to try and break down the door.” 

Gaara blinked, “Oh wow.” 

“Yeah, found him crying in the hallway cuz he broke his hand.” Naruto unlocked the door and laughed to himself, “It was kind of funny to be honest.”

With that Naurto snorts loudly at the memory while Gaara offers a small smile and a nod in return. Naruto opened the door to an apartment that had far more natural light than Gaara anticipated. At the end of the living room were two big windows that looked out on the rest of the street, which wasn’t much of a view but still. The kitchen was tiny, there a tiny bit of counter space mostly taken up by the microwave a coffee-maker, but at least there was a fridge, oven, and two stove tops. Directly across from the kitchen was a worn out couch that had been covered by a bed sheet that was tucked into the cushions. Next to the windows was a small breakfast table with only one chair. 

Gaara gave Naruto an inquisitive look, he smiled a little embarrassed in return and scrunched up his nose, “The bedsheet was for Akumaru, Kiba’s dog and he took his chair with him when he left. I’ve been meaning to buy another but…” 

Naruto shrugged his shoulders with another hopeless grin and led Gaara into the bathroom which was also tiny. The toilet and the sink we crammed next to each other with a claw-footed bathtub and shower head adjacent to them. It was cleaner than Gaara expected it to be. 

Then all there was left was the bedroom, unsurprisingly it was also tiny but it also had a decent amount of light. The window itself was tall but it wasn’t that wide, maybe just enough so Gaara could only be seen from the road. The view overlooked the various shops across the street and beyond that he could see the outlines of trees that surrounded the city. It wasn’t bad, to say the least. 

“The carpet is a bit fucked, but if you get a rug it’ll look swell.” Naruto kicked at the stained rug underneath his feet, “but there’s lots of closet space!” 

The closet wasn’t as big as Naruto thought it was, at least, not big enough for Gaara’s ample black hoodie collection. Gaara nodded once again in response, never looking at Naruto directly. 

“It’s nice.” Was all they said.

“It is,” Naruto smiled proudly, “The utilities are included with the rent, but if we use too much electricity the old man will kill us. Internet is a bit pricey but I’m thinking of switching but it’s such a bother, you know?” 

Gaara nodded glancing around themself. The two of them stood in silence for a bit, Naruto waiting for Gaara to say something and they did not exactly know what to say. After awhile Naruto sighed, “You want a bowl of ramen?” 

“Oh, no. I don’t think I could.” Gaara clutched onto the straps of their back-pack. 

“C’mon! I insist, you can meet the old man, he’s our landlord. He acts all tough but he’s really soft once you get to know him.” Naruto briskly walked out of the apartment and into the hallway. 

Gaara barely managed to keep up with him, and saw at the end of the hallways was a pair of elevator doors they had not seen before. With the push of a button the entire machine began to clang and moan as its gears turned. Gaara gave Naruto a look. 

“I promise, it’s totally fine! Sure it makes a lot of noises and the lights turn off every now and then but I brought like, six people up here one time in it and it was _fine._ ” He replied waving his hand dismissively. 

Gaara raised a brow and replied dryly, “Right. And the apartment is spacious and free of damaged doors.”

They immediately regretted saying that, but Naruto laughed and pushed Gaara’s shoulder gently, “Oh whatever, the place has a big heart and that’s what matters.” 

Gaara couldn’t help but smile a little more sincerely. True to his word, the elevator ran just fine, although it did jiggle a little too much before stopping. The two of them entered a small hallway with a pantry on the right of them. In front Gaara could see a small kitchen with an old man reading a magazine in a contented manner. He glanced up and grinned. 

“Naruto, aren’t you supposed to be running the counter?” He smirked, slamming his newspaper shut.

“I told you old man, I’m showing a possible tenant around today.” Naruto gestured to Gaara with a proud smile, “Meet Gaara, I went to middle school with them!” 

The old man scratched his chin and eyed Gaara carefully, “You aint got a dog, do you?” 

“Uh… No.” Gaara replied. 

“Well, you sound perfect then!” He smiled folding his arms, “Naruto told you all the basics, right? Utilities included, y’all pay for your own internet and such. This kid keep trying to convince me to put internet in the restaurant but I told him this aint no jukebox, teen, coffee party.” 

Naruto rolled his eyes, “Everybody’s doing wifi now, people will order more food and stuff.” 

“Hmph. I put on the baseball game when it’s on and that’s all the action I want around here.” The old man huffed with a small grin on his face. 

Naruto laughed and clapped the old man on the shoulder and led Gaara across the kitchen and out into the main part of the restaurant. It felt a little satisfying to end up back where they began. 

“So,” Naruto turned to Gaara while he put back on his apron, “You convinced yet?” 

Gaara barely grinned while looking down at their feet, “Well, I like the place.” 

“Yeah?” 

They shifted uncomfortably, “And it’s in my budget and close enough to school…” 

“Right.” 

Gaara was quiet after that. The whole situation was perfect except for the fact that Gaara knew Naruto didn’t actually want him to live with him. Why would he? After everything Gaara had done in junior high, it was a miracle he even allowed them to come. 

Naruto seemed to sense his anxiety and went into the kitchen for a moment. Maybe now was Gaara’s chance to escape so they could forget they ever put themselves out here like that. Gaara turned to leave when they heard Naruto shout: 

“Do you eat meat or nah?!” 

Gaara stood there and had to think about it for a moment, “I eat meat.” 

“What kind do you like?” 

They had to think about it again for a moment, “I suppose pork is good.” 

What felt like an agonizing amount of time passed before Naruto re-emerged from the kitchen with a large bowl of ramen, three slices of pork on the side, a boiled egg, and various other toppings. It smelled heavenly, Gaara felt their mouth watering and their stomach groan. 

“We should do this more often.” Naruto leaned against the counter with a soft smile. 

Gaara looked back up at him inquisitively. 

Naruto rolled his eyes, “This, we should hang out sometime. Even if you decide not to be my roomie. I’ve missed you, dude.” 

Gaara’s heart stopped again. They couldn’t even conceive of that being the case. He missed them? 

“I didn’t even think you knew me to be honest.” Gaara replied, raising a skeptical brow. 

Naruto looked confused, “Dude, we totally had that big group project together remember? The one where we made family trees and we were both so distraught over it.” 

Gaara nodded slowly, they still didn’t quite remember it. Middle school in general was a foggy place for their memory. Naruto searched their expression for another moment, waiting for a reply that would never come. He smiled a little hopelessly and pushed himself back from the counter. 

“You think about it dude but if you could let me know sometime tomorrow that would be chill,” He smiled his famous wide smile and smoothed his hair back, “I’m a very popular guy, people are just itching to be my roomie.” 

“Uh-huh,” Gaara smiled placidly, “I’m sure they’ll be itching themselves from all the fleas in your apartment.” 

Naruto looked aghast, putting his hand over his heart and gasping dramatically before stepping into the kitchen again. Gaara looked down as their bowl of steaming hot ramen emerged in an oily broth and grabbed their chopsticks for a bite. 

It was like heaven melting in their mouth. For only a moment, everything faded into the background. There was no history between them.There was no guilt pulsing through them, no weighted blanket shame constantly surrounding them. Perhaps this is what their therapist was talking about how free Gaara would feel when they finally forgive themself. 

When they finished their bowl, Gaara told Naruto they would take the room.


	2. Moving Day

“You’re moving in with Naruto?!” Kankuro exclaimed, as he dropped a box unceremoniously in the middle of Gaara’s new apartment. 

The box landed with a loud _SMASH_ making Gaara jump in surprise and glare at Kankuro. He didn’t even seem to notice their angry glare and was too distracted by the photo on the wall of Naruto on graduation day with another man. Gaara squinted at the photo and was shocked to see it was their middle school English teacher, Iruka. 

“Didn’t he like, fail the seventh grade?” Kankuro snorted, while giving Gaara a doubtful look. 

Gaara shifted uncomfortably, they didn’t remember Naruto having to repeat the grade. Then again, they did remember being a year younger than him while taking the same English class. As a response, Gaara simply shrugged and picked the box off of the floor. 

Temari entered the room holding two boxes stacked on top of one another. Gently she set them down and began unpacking Gaara’s plates, each one of them being set down with a _CLANG_. Clearly she was still upset. 

“Temari, you don’t have to do that…” Gaara said but they were met by a glare as menacing as their own. 

She huffed and furrowed her brows, “I don’t know why you’re leaving to live in this…” Temari looked around with a disgusted look on her face, “Why don’t you come live with me? It’s not too late we can drive all this stuff to my place.” 

Kankuro laughed out loud, smacking his knee while he did. Temari shot a veheminous scowl at Kankuro which made him shut up very quickly. Her gaze shifted back to Gaara and softened only a little and turned into more of a frown. 

“Gaara, I just mean you have so many other options then living in a dump like this with a guy you barely know.” Temari’s eyes shifted downward, “I know you want a little more space from Dad but if you live with me you won’t even have to hear from him.” 

Gaara raised a brow, “You work for him.” 

“Yeah but-” 

“He’ll weasel his way in, I just know it.” 

With that they began to turn away to put another box in their room. Gaara knew how much Temari and Kanuro cared for him and regretted not appreciating their love earlier in their life. They only wanted what was best for them. 

After putting away some of their boxes in their room, they breathed in three inhales and three exhales and came back out into the living space. With shaky hands, they approached Temari and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. 

“I really appreciate you worrying about me, Temari.” Gaara spoke quietly, still not used to expressing themself, “I just need a little space to spread my wings a bit, you know?” 

Temari gave them a hard look. She didn’t want to leave them here, a place she wasn’t familiar with and wasn’t readily accessible to her. “You promise to call me every day?” 

“Yes.” Gaara compromised. 

In agreement, Temari nodded at them and continued her work. 

“I don't know if that’s exactly it...” Kankuro smirked with a raised brow and pointed at the massive bong in the middle of the coffee table. 

Temari gave Gaara another scowl, eyeing him suspiciously. 

Gaara raised their hands defensively, “Honestly, I don’t even know what that thing is, I thought it was a fancy vase or something.”

She narrowed her eyes, “I _will_ know if you smoke pot, Gaara.” 

“I know,” they blinked. 

“Hmph.” Temari gave them one last look and went back to her work. 

*** 

It didn’t take too long to move all of Gaara’s stuff into Naruto’s apartment. The biggest challenge was getting their book shelf up the skinny pair of stairs but the three of them managed. Kankuro helped Gaara put their bed together while Temari re-organized their bookshelf. Before long the sky outside began to grow dark and it wasn’t even five yet, that was living in the Pacific Northwest for you. Kankuro stood up with a satisfied sigh and his hands on his hips. 

“Welp! I gotta get going little sib.” He ruffled Gaara’s hair while they sat on the floor next to Termari. 

“Shouldn’t we stay for a bit longer?” Temari asked, giving Gaara a worried look. 

“I’ll be fine, it’s getting late anyways and I’ve got homework to do.” Gaara assured her, trying their best to give her a sincere smile. 

Of course this was not enough to truly assure her, but Temari knew it was time to leave. It took a bit more convincing on Gaara and Kankuro’s part, but eventually she was hugging them good-bye. She swiftly left before she would start crying. Kankuro simply slapped Gaara’s shoulder and with a somewhat genuine smile. 

“Call us if you need anything, bud.” He gave them a last wave and left Gaara alone.

Gaara stood there listening to their steps as the two of them moved down the hallway then down the stairs. Then, there it was quiet besides the buzzing of the refrigerator and the sound of a baseball game from under Gaara’s feet. Compared to their old place, this apartment was quiet at least for now. 

They sighed and went back to meticulously organizing their room. Certain things had to go certain places, every now and then Gaara would step back and really think about how they arranged something. Could it be more efficient? Probably. So they would try a new combination. After a couple of hours, they found just the right way of organizing their clothes. Jackets on the left of the closet, closest to the door while pants were on the far right. They didn’t know why, but that way just felt right to them. For each part of their room Gaara did this. Arrange, then rearrange then arrange again just to make sure they were getting it right. 

Before they knew it, the sky outside had changed to completely black and the clock on their bedside table read 8:49PM. Gaara realized they had not eaten most of the day, at least, not since Kankuro bought burritos for Temari and them. With a groan, Gaara arose from the floor and headed to the kitchen to microwave some pizza-pockets. 

While the microwave buzzed, Gaara couldn’t help but feel the stillness around them. Had they just made a terrible mistake? What were they even doing here, Naruto didn’t even like them, in fact he probably only let Gaara live here because he felt bad. Because Naruto was a nice person unlike themself. Gaara was a terrible person, who had done terrible things to good natured people and nobody would ever- 

Inhale. Hold. Exhale. The breath came in for a few seconds. It rested in their stomach for a few seconds. Then came out for a few seconds. 

That felt better. After that was under control, Gaara began making a list in their head. On the kitchen counter in front of them was a huge basket full of ramen packets of all different flavors. Next to the sink was an empty 2 liter bottle of Root Beer. On the fridge was notes Naruto had written to himself like; _Don’t forget your lunch!_ And _Pay phone bill!!!_ The world seemed more manageable with notes like that written in it. 

The microwave dinged with an annoying ring that assured Gaara that yes, their food was indeed done and ready to be taken out. Just in case the first five dings went unnoticed. Gaara reached for the plate inside and burned their hands. They searched for a rag and found one on the handle of the fridge, they took their plate out, and then plopped on the couch. Their body relaxed and was nearly absorbed by the cushions. When was the last time they had just sat down? Then-

 _CA-CHUNK_

The door handle unlocked and moved. Naruto said he wouldn’t be home before 10PM. Maybe he got off of his internship early? For a split second, Gaara felt the need to sprint into their room and hide, they weren’t ready to see him yet. Gaara’s breath quickened and their eyes nearly burned holes into the door for agonizing seconds it jigged. 

With harsh push, a figure managed to get the door open. Gaara squinted. She was short, with long black hair and bangs that nearly hid her eyes. In her arms she carried two large bags of what looked like groceries and she wore leggings and a grey sweatshirt. To Gaara at least, she appeared to be struggling. Once the shock of it not being Naruto wore off Gaara jumped to help her out. 

“I can help you with those.” They said more anxiously then they would have liked. 

The girl look up at them with grey eyes, she looked so familiar but they couldn’t quite tell who it was, “O-Oh, you don’t have to.” She replied, walking cautiously toward the kitchen and plopping the groceries down with a satisfied huff. 

Gaara stood there awkwardly and began cursing themself for not running into their room and hiding. The girl turned around and looked Gaara over and offered a sincere smile. 

“Naruto told me you were moving in,” She said softly, her eyes darting away as she gulped, “I… I don’t know if you remember me uh…” 

Gaara blinked. Did they? She did look familiar to them. “I’m not sure, did you go to the same middle school as Naruto?” 

“Yes!” She blushed and fidgeted with one of the strings of her hoodie, “Yes, I-I sat behind you in science.” 

Gaara searched their memory. Was there a girl sitting behind them in science? 

She looked even more embarrassed, “I went by a different name then- I was a different person then. I used to go by the name Neji, but my name is Hinata.” 

“Oh!” Gaara was hit with the realization, “sorry I don’t remember much of that era.” 

“Not at all! What pronouns do you use?” 

“They, them, please.” Gaara replied feeling a warmth bubble in their belly, “Which ones do you use?” 

“She, hers, please.” Hinata nodded and began unpacking the groceries. 

Out of the bags she pulled all kinds of vegetables along with beef broth and noodles. Then she began pulling out pots and cutting boards, Gaara watched closely making note of where everything was. 

“Would you like some help?” They offered. 

Hinata shook her head politely, “I will be fine, it’s just a lot of chopping vegetables. It pretty much takes care of itself honestly!” 

“Oh.” Gaara stepped back and wasn’t sure what to do now. Should they talk to her?

They returned to the couch awkwardly and tried to make themself as invisible as possible. It would be rude to take their pizza pockets into their own bedroom but what if it was rude to eat in front of her? Should they offer her a pizza pocket? 

“Uh…” Gaara started. They held the plate close to their chest and stared at Hinata wide eyed. 

She looked up at them expectedly while putting on an apron. Gaara only stared, their heart raced. What had they done? 

They gulped, “Uh… Do you want a pizza pocket?” 

Hinata blinked and looked at the plate of already cool pizza pockets, “Sure.” 

Relief spread throughout Gaara, they got up and offered her the plate with a pile of pizza pockets. She looked at one closely and chuckled, “It’s funny, Naruto used to eat these all the time.” 

“Oh yeah?” 

She nodded, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure there was a three month long period when he ate these for every single meal. I even heard he ate a couple of frozen ones when his microwave broke.” 

Gaara laughed, “I can see now he’s upgraded to ramen.” they gestured toward the large basket full of ramen packets. 

“Oh, Naruto had always loved ramen. I forget why exactly, but he used to get a really good deal on these pizza pockets at his old workplace and he just loved them.” Hinata explained after taking a bite. 

That did sound like Naruto, really any poor college student Gaara knew but eating a frozen pizza pocket was a particularly flavoured thing. They stood there awkwardly for a moment longer while Hinata began pouring the broth into the pot and chopping vegetables. They couldn’t help but feel like an ass for just standing there and watching her. 

“You sure you don’t need any help?” Gaara offered again. 

Hinata waved a hand, “N-No, as I said it pretty much makes itself. Don’t mind me!” 

They could hear the anxiety in her voice. Like how your voice gets higher in pitch the more you don’t want to be noticed. Gaara tucked their head down and slunk back to the couch trying their best not to be noticed. The two of them continued like that for sometime, every now and again Gaara could hear a soft tune Hinate hummed to herself but would suddenly stop. Gaara cursed themself, they knew they should’ve just stayed in their room but now they were just bothering Hinata with their presence. She probably knew what Gaara was like in middle school. 

When the smell of the vegetables, the broth, and the spices reached Gaara their mouth immediately began to water. The measly pizza pockets they had eaten had barely filled them up but it was too late to make more now. Just as they were mourning over their half empty stomach, the lock on the door began to move again painfully. It rattled, groaned, then with some effort Naruto came bursting through the door. 

First he set eyes on Gaara and smiled widely, “Hey dude, glad to see you’re making yourself at home.” 

Then he instantly smelled what Hinata was cooking and poked his head towards the kitchen. Naruto smiled wider than Gaara had seen before. 

“Hinata!” He gasped and rushed towards her, pulling Hinata into his arms and burying his face into her shoulder. “I didn’t think you were coming until next weekend! I-I would have vacuumed or something like that-And you cooked!?” 

At the sight of the pot full of noodles, vegetables, and beef his eyes widened as he quickly began grabbing bowls and spoons. 

Hinata tilted her head, “Have you not vacuumed since Kiba left?” 

Naruto waved his hand and laughed loudly, “No, no, not at all! You’ve met Gaara right?” 

Quickly, Naruto turned Hinata towards Gaara. She blinked with a soft smile which made Gaara’s heart nearly jump out of their chest. 

“Yes,” She chuckled softly, “I’ve met Gaara, they’ve been very nice.” 

That comment was almost enough to make Gaara stop breathing. She thought they were nice? Had anyone said something like that to them before? 

“Do you want to have dinner with us?” Hinata offered while she grabbed three bowls from one of the cabinets. 

“O-oh umm…” Although they desperately wanted to Gaara knew they shouldn’t interrupt their time together, “I already had some pizza pockets, I’m full.” 

“Please, I know for a fact unless you eat an entire box of those then they won’t fill you up at all! Come eat with us!” Naruto insisted while filling up their bowl with the pho Hinata made. 

There was no choice now. Gaara walked over to the kitchen and took the bowl Naruto handed them with an appreciative smile. It was then Gaara remembered the small table by the window only had one chair. They had forgotten to bring one, now there was going to be nowhere to sit and it would be terribly awkward. Once again, Gaara cursed themself for being so careless. 

“Shit…” Naruto said staring at the table next to Gaara, he shrugged, “Guess we’ll just eat on the couch tonight.” He nudged Gaara playfully, “Maybe tomorrow we can go down to Goodwill and grab a couple chairs, huh?” 

Hinata shook her head with a soft smile, “You could’ve told me you didn’t have any chairs for the table Naruto, I would’ve brought some from home.” 

“I uh, kind of forget.” Naruto scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. 

The three of them sat in front of a laptop connected to a TV that was slightly bigger than the laptop itself. Naruto flipped it open and began going through videos on Youtube. 

“I’ve been watchin’ Kitchen Nightmares on Youtube, y’all wanna watch some?” He asked wiggling his eyebrows. 

Hinata nodded and they both looked to Gaara, who shrugged in response. He smiled, clicked one of the episodes and settled into the couch next to Hinata. 

Gaara wondered to themself how long they had been together. They didn’t remember much of Hinata in middle school, except for passing papers to her and glancing at her every now and again. All they could remember was how she would glare at them each time they turned around towards her. Gaara shivered. Did she still feel the same way about it? Maybe she was just better at hiding it now. It wouldn’t be long before she turned Naruto against them and kicked them out. Gaara exhaled slowly and closed their eyes. They made a note to themself to unpack these feelings in therapy later. 

It didn’t feel long before they had watched six episodes of Kitchen Nightmares. Gaara didn’t know someone could scream so much and so freely at one another in such a public setting on camera. Then again, it had been awhile since they had watched any reality TV. When the video ended Naruto leaned forward and stopped the next video from playing and gently got up. It was then Gaara noticed Hinata fast asleep on the couch with her head leaning against the cushion with a serene look on her face. With care, Naruto scooped her up in his arms and walked over to his bedroom. Gaara couldn’t help but feel a warmth touch their cheeks, he must care for her very much. 

Eventually, Naruto quietly exited the room and sat next to Gaara on the couch, “Hinata’s usually exhausted when she gets here, I always appreciate her coming to visit me.” 

“How long have you two been together?” Gaara asked. 

“Uh, about a year since last month. It was nice to have the apartment to ourselves, you know?” Naruto wiggled his eyebrows, then quickly tucked his head embarrassed, “We watched all of Princess Tutu and cried a lot…” 

Gaara laughed, “It sounds like you two have a good relationship.” 

“Yeah, I love Hinata a lot. Like, I’ve never really dated anyone else but she is one of the best people I’ve ever known and I feel so lucky to be with her.” Naruto said, he choked back an emotion and gave Gaara a wide smile. 

“Is it a long distance relationship?” Gaara asked. 

Naruto shrugged, “Kind of, she only lives an hour away so she visits nearly every weekend. She just takes care of her little sister and father and stuff.” 

Gaara hummed softly in response gazing at Naruto, he was such a kind person, loved by everyone, and made it look so easy. It was not the Naruto they knew in middle school, who was constantly making jokes and challenging kids to fights. This Naruto was loved and full of it. 

“You’ve changed so much,” Gaara heard themself whisper, then immediately became embarrassed. 

“Oh yeah?” Naruto scratched his chin with a big smile, “So, have you!” He put his hand on Gaara’s shoulder and looked them in the eye, they watched Naruto breathlessly taking in his every movement, “You’ve come a long way, I’m glad to see you’re doing better, buddy.”

All Gaara wanted to do was deny Naruto’s kind statement, to tell him he was wrong and that they were still the horrible person he used to know. Instead, they simply sighed and gave him as sincere of a smile as they could put on their face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want me to cry openly in front of my girlfriend leave a comment or a kudos :D


	3. The Search for the Almost Perfect Chair

Thrift stores always have a certain smell to them. It’s the kind of smell that comes from so many pieces of people's lives all in one room, from different eras, places, lives. All these different smells come together to create the smell of a thrift store. Gaara loved the smell of a thrift store, it irritated their nose but also was so specifically pungent in a way a Thrift Store could only be. This one particular was a Goodwill that sat next to a Walmart, seagulls had gathered together on both buildings, glaring down at the passerbyers below. 

Naruto wore his usual headband, which he insisted was to keep the hair from getting in his eyes. His t-shirt said _Can You Believe?_ paired with worn out blue jeans and sandals with socks on. It was a very classic Pacific Northwest look, to say the least. Gaara didn’t understand a bit of it. The whole socks with sandals thing always weirded them out. However, they didn’t grow up here so maybe they would never understand it. That day Gaara wore his maroon hoodie, so that was where they were at on that day. 

“Oh man,” Naruto said excitedly, “I love Goodwill, don’t you?” 

Gaara shrugged, “I’ve found some pretty good stuff in there.” 

“Oh yeah? Like another hoodie?” Naruto teased, playfully nudging them. 

Gaara rolled their eyes and walked into the Goodwill with Naruto trotting behind them chuckling. Inside was no busier than a Goodwill was usually, people quickly looking through the racks, walking aimlessly in circles, talking with friends. The smell. Gaara breathed in deeply, feeling it prickle on their nose. Just when Gaara was heading for the furniture section, Naruto did a 180 and began looking at coffee mugs with a wide smile on his face. 

“Look at this one, Gaara.” He snickered. 

It was a mug that had a little boy on it saying _Big Boy Bobby’s Mug, Babey!_ Gaara covered their mouth to stop themself from erupting in laughter. 

“I mean,” Naruto gasped incredulously, “What does this even _mean?!_ ” 

“It’s Bobby’s big boy mug,” Gaara replied as placidly as they were able to without smiling.

Naruto smirked and added, “ _Baby._ ” 

Gaara smiled and urged Naruto along, which was a nearly impossible task. It took them fifteen minutes just to get to the furniture section, Naruto kept spotting strange things and showing them to Gaara. Although most of the stuff was hilarious (and terrifying) Gaara wanted to get out of public as quickly as possible thus, they pushed Naruto to the furniture section. There was a wide selection of chairs, there was a set of two but besides that they were all mismatched. Naruto quickly gazed at all of them taking them in rapidly. 

“I’m going to get that one.” He pointed at a chair with a large pink and orange cushion and a wicker back. 

Naruto could make decisions in a matter of seconds while for Gaara, it took a bit for him to really absorb all the options. The thing was it wasn’t even that big of a deal, but what if Gaara got a chair that they would absolutely hate in a week? What if it was uncomfortable? Or didn’t go with Naruto’s randomized decor? The whole situation was a recipe for an anxiety attack, but Naruto had invited them along and unfortunately for Gaara they didn’t make up an excuse in time. They sighed and shoved their hands in their pockets eyeing the chairs. 

Slowly, Gaara began walking in circles around the chairs. Trying to see which one matched Naruto’s the best, but the one he had picked out was so bizarrely colored, it didn’t go with anything there. Gaara bit their lip. Why was this stuff so hard for them? 

Naruto watched Gaara carefully, he was an impatient guy but he wasn’t about to rush them or anything. Without a word Naruto walked over to the only pair of look-alikes and turned to Gaara. 

“What about these two?” He asked with a grin. 

Gaara glances at the pair and frowns, “Didn’t you want to pick out the one you got?” 

“Nah,” Naruto waved a hand, “changed my mind, I think these two will work, don’t you?” 

For a second Gaara just looked at Naruto, knowing they were just being an inconvenience and Naruto was just nice enough compromise for them. 

“A-Alright then…” Gaara mumbled, glancing away from Naruto, ready to finally leave that place. 

The line wasn’t long and the chairs together cost $22, which Gaara and Naruto split. They carried their chairs all the way to the bus stop and rode the bus back across town, a thirty-five minute bus ride plus a ten minute walk to _Ichiraku Ramen_. Naruto seemed like a strong guy, he didn’t mind it as much as Gaara did. The chair was so awkward to hold and kept bumping against their thighs as they walked along the road. Eventually they both got to the apartment and carried them up the stairs. 

“Whew!” Naruto exclaimed setting down one of the chairs as he began to fumble with his keys, “I feel like I can walk to Goodwill faster then just taking a bus there.” 

“I don’t know why they insist on having such a useless bus system.” Gaara agreed, with a deep sigh. 

Naruto unlocked the door to the apartment and the two of them set down the chairs at the table with an exhausted sigh. The air smelled like baked vegetables and garlic, at once both of them turned toward the kitchen they had just walked past to find Hinata cooking. She smiled sweetly. 

“Welcome back you two, glad to see you found more chairs.” She said, opening the rice cooker unleashing a massive amount of steam. 

Without hesitation, Naruto ran towards Hinata and wrapped her up in his arms spinning her around the kitchen. Hinata’s laughter filled the apartment like a songbird, it was loud and joyous as if everyone should know how happy she was. He set her down and grabbed a rice scooper. 

“You can sit down, honey, I can make your plate.” Naruto insisted. 

Hinata tilted her head and gently tugged on his arm, “You don’t have to, Naruto…” 

“I want to! You’ve been working on this for me and I’m supposed to let you make your own plate? Pssh, you don’t know me well at all!” Naruto waved her away and started putting rice on the plate, “You too Gaara, I’ll make you a plate.” 

Gaara shifted their weight awkwardly, they still felt like they were third-wheeling and they shouldn’t even be there. However, time and time again Naruto would insist on them sticking around. Without any objection, Gaara sat down at the table next to Hinata and patiently waited for their food, their eyes set firmly upon the table. 

“How was Goodwill?” Hinata asked Gaara. 

“O-Oh, it was good.” Gaara shrugged, they glanced at her and felt their face flush a little, “I suppose that’s why it’s called Goodwill.” 

Gaara laughed once and cursed themself for saying something as stupid and devoid of all humor as that. But Hinata returned the joke with a soft smile that made Gaara’s breath become stuck in their throat. They quickly turned away, feeling extremely uncomfortable by the whole situation. 

Naruto laid down a plate for Gaara and Hinata and then himself. They all dug in, Gaara stayed quiet while Hinata and Naruto talked about their plans for the rest of the day. 

“Oh!” Naruto said suddenly, “Killer Bee’s performance is tonight at the Queer Bookshop, I can’t believe I almost forgot!” 

“That’s why I keep telling you to get a calendar.” Hinata teased, “What time is it at?” 

“Seven, I think everyone will be there, but Bee wanted me to get there early to set up his merch table and everything.” 

“Well, that sounds like fun. If I have time after visiting Sakura I’ll totally check it out.” Hinata smiled sweetly. 

Naruto held her hand and returned her smile lovingly. There was no doubt in Gaara’s mind how much he treasured her. 

Suddenly Naruto turned to Gaara with a bright grin, “Do you wanna help me set up? Bee is the coolest guy you will ever meet!” 

Gaara blinked and folded his hands nervously, “Uh, sure. I can help out for a bit but I need to do some homework tonight.” 

“Yeah, yeah, sure! You don’t have to come buddy but I would appreciate the help.” Naruto patted Gaara’s back happily. 

In all honesty, Gaara didn’t understand why they kept on saying yes to all of Naruto’s requests. All they really knew was that everytime he hung out with Naruto, they worried a little less about what Naruto was actually thinking. Every time they became a little less anxious, however they were still steaming with anxiety at all time it just was beginning to become a little less intense. It was nice to have someone that talked to them and had an understanding of how anxiety operated. 

The Queer bookshop named Queeries was exactly what one would expect. The windows were full of posters advertising local events such as rallies, concerts, and support groups. Inside the walls were covered in each Queer flag Gaara had ever seen and then some. There were posters of famous Queer people such as Alice Walker, Angela Davis, Marsha P. Johnson, Audre Lord, and Sylvia Rivera. Gaara had never been inside this shop before, except for the time they were looking for a book on being nonbinary. The internet was a fine resource, but sometimes they just wanted to hold something in their hand that proved they really did exist. 

The person at the counter raised her head with a large smile, “Hey you two!” the woman approached Naruto and gave him a big smile, “Now who’s this?” 

“I’m Gaara,” They mumbled quietly. 

“Gaara, I’m Shizune, I use she, her, hers pronouns.” She replied with a kind smile. 

“Oh, I use they, them, theirs, pronouns.” Gaara explained, trying to return the smile but instead just forming a thin line across their face. 

“You can set up over there Naruto.” She explained, pointing over to an empty corner. 

Naruto turned to Gaara, “Do you mind going around the corner there? In the back there’s a closet full of information on HIV/AIDS.” 

Gaara gave Naruto a small nodding, quietly thanking him in their own way for getting them out of a social situation. Gaara passed through the curtain to a backroom full of books, these books surrounded more sexual themes. They felt their face flush but their eyes spotted a book called _The Non-Binary Person’s Guide to Sex and Self Pleasure._ For a moment they only stared at the cover, it had the non-binary flags on it with illustrations of people laughing together. They picked it up from the bookshelf and began reading the back of it when they heard something to the left of them. 

They hadn’t seen him for sometime, which is why they didn’t even know it was even him immediately. His hair was jet black with what looked like a sheen of blue, possibly a trick of the light. Gaara eyed him carefully. Why did he look so familiar? The guy looked up at him, his face twisted into a grimace as his eyes flickered down then back up. Gaara looked back at the shelf and lowered their head, trying to make themself small. 

It was then that Naruto burst through the curtain, “Having trouble finding it?” 

He smiled widely at Gaara but then his eyes looked up at the guy standing at the end of the room, holding one of the books in his hand. He eyed Naruto and rolled his eyes. 

“Of course you’d be here.” He put the book back on the shelf and started walking out. 

Naruto stood there with wide eyes for a moment, his lower lip quivering, Gaara had never seen Naruto without a thing to say. 

“S-Sasuke!” 

Gaara’s eyes widened. Sasuke Uchiha. It was that guy they had punched in middle school, one of the many people they had hurt during that time. They did what their therapist told them to do in this situation. Gaara took a deep breath and stepped toward Sasuke. 

“Hey, you probably don’t remember me but I-I hurt you extremely bad when I was younger and I would just like to apologize. I was going through some personal turmoil and that manifested itself through unchecked rage. I truly am sorry for my past actions.” Gaara said, trying to keep their voice as clear and calm as possible. 

For a second Sasuke eyed him, narrowing his eyes then scowling, “Whatever.” 

He started walking out again but not before Naruto could jump into his way, “Listen man, I’m glad to see you’re here! Why don’t you stay for the poetry reading, there’ll be some really great conversations and resources for you to check out.” 

“I’ll pass.” Sasuke replied stiffly, glaring at Naruto one last time before turning his head and ignoring the two of them completely. 

He exited the shop without another word leaving Naruto standing there in the backroom with Gaara. The guy looked absolutely devastated, as if someone had just told him he would never accomplish any of his goals or dreams. Gaara watched him, feeling a slight pain in their chest. 

“You okay?” They asked Naruto softly, placing a hand on their shoulder. 

“Y-Yeah, dude, I’m good.” Naruto replied, his smile not reaching his eyes. 

Gaara squeezed Naruto’s shoulder, “I know it doesn’t mean a lot coming from me but, I think what you’re doing and working on is amazing and if others can’t see that it’s their fault.” 

Naruto smiled faintly and looked at Gaara, “Eh… I mean, what good am I really if I can’t even help one of my best friends?” 

Gaara blinked up at him. He was the kind of guy that had already helped Gaara with so much and everyone else in their life. Could he really not see the range of his impact upon people? 

Before Gaara could offer another word, a much taller man came up behind Naruto and wrapped a big arm around him. 

“Hey little man! Still haven’t touched up the roots, I see?” He grinned, he wore sunglasses and a bucket hat along with a big grin on his face. 

“Hey, Bee!” Naruto turned and hugged him tightly, “How’s it feel being back from the tour?”

“Awe man, it was sweet! Really cool to share my art with a bunch of other lil’ baby Queers, you know what I’m saying?” He laughed and looked to Gaara, “Ah, who’s this fella?” 

“My name is Gaara,” The replied then added, “I use they pronouns.” 

“Oh, Naruto told me about you, you’re the new roomie? How do you like living with him? He’s a real fool ain’t he?” Bee laughed. 

“He kinda is a goofball, last night he made me and Hinata watch Kitchen Nightmares.” Gaara said, holding back a smile. 

Naruto looked at Gaara aghast, “How is that me being a goofball?! It’s a great show!” 

“See what I mean?” Gaara rolled their eyes. 

Bee cackled loudly and smacked Gaara’s back with a resounding PAT that reverberated in the entire back room, “I like you kid! You’re staying for the reading, right?” 

“I don’t think I can, I have homework I gotta get to.” 

“Awe, gotta put yourself first, I respect that in a major way. I’m doing a piece next month anyways so you should definitely come for that.” Bee replied with a bright smile. 

Gaara nodded and smiled back, they liked Bee and didn’t even think a person like him would like someone like them. 

“I’m heading back, Naruto.” Gaara said, turning their head toward him. 

Guilt filled Gaara for a second, they knew seeing Sasuke must have been tough for him and now he had a huge smile on his face. Gaara wished they were the kind of person that could pull Naruto aside and ask him if he needed any support. But Gaara wasn’t that kind of person. They would just be annoying or nosey, even if Naruto did open up to Gaara, they wouldn’t have anything helpful to say. It was best just to leave Naruto alone with Bee so they could catch up and maybe talk about it. 

The street outside was cool against Gaara’s bare arms, luckily they lived across the street so it wasn’t that bad. They looked up and saw Hinata coming toward them carrying a tote bag that said _Eat the Rich_. She smiled brightly and waved, making Gaara’s heart stop in its’ tracks. 

“Gaara! Thank you for helping Naruto out.” She stopped on the sidewalk, “You know, I think he’s really glad you moved in.” 

“O-Oh yeah?” Gaara asked. 

“Yeah! Naruto doesn’t do so well alone, he needs someone to be a calming presence in his life, you know?” She said. 

Gaara nodded and looked at their shoes awkwardly, not knowing exactly what to say to that. 

“Anywho,” Hinata continued, “I’m excited to see more of you, I’m sure you and Naruto will become great friends.” 

She patted Gaara’s shoulder and walked past them with grace. Gaara stood on the street for a bit longer and inhaled a deep breath as they contemplated things. 

_I don’t know if I’m cut out to be friends with anyone really..._

That thought alone made Gaara’s body slump and a frog make a home in his throat. They sighed and continued on their way across the street, adding the thought to their ever growing list of what they were going to talk about in therapy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you want me to cry in front of my girlfriend in an attempt at being vulnerable which my therapist tells me I desperately need to get better a doing, leave a comment or a kudos!


End file.
